Secret Woes of the Heart
by Keito Stone
Summary: Sion receives a mystery box in his study and gets transformed into a woman! Now he has to figure a way to change back without his lover and his kingdom discovering what has happened to him. Main pairing: SionXRyner
1. Mirror Mirror

_Hi~! I know that it's been forever since I've even put anything up here, but thanks to a phone that connects to my skydrive, I can now write anywhere and actually keep up with my brain. I blame Netflix for letting me become obsessed with this anime, but its too late to go back now!_

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS EXCEPT FOR THE IDEA AND THE MIRROR IN THIS CHAPTER. THAT'S MINE. I GET TO CLAIM THAT._

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_**Chapter 1: Mirror Mirror**_

There were many things that Sion could deal with. His mountains of paperwork, constantly getting half written reports from Ryner and strange reports from the youngest of the Eris family about Ryner and Ferris. He could even deal with Ryner's constant napping and invasion of his personal space whenever he and Ferris returned from their voyage for Hero relics. But this, this indignity he would not stand for!

"This isn't funny Lucile! What am I supposed to do like this?!"

It had all started with a package that had been sitting innocently on his desk, three puppies that looked identical to the one he had as a child running around the legs of his desk. His half siblings had finally realized that he was no longer their bastard of a half brother but was now their king and each had sent him a small white puppy, hoping to placate his anger against them for their callous order for he and his mother's murder when he was a child.

After giving each some attention, something he could do at anytime by had gotten into the habit of starting the moment he arrived in his study, Sion looked over the delicately wrapped box. It wasn't unheard of for him to receive gifts - on the contrary, he often received a number of gifts daily and would often disperse them out among the palace staff - but this one was different. There were no labels or tags from him to identify the person who had sent it, and the amount of ribbons on the box itself was almost nauseating. He may be slightly effeminate with his slim stature and long locks, but he was most definitely not a woman.

Carefully picking through the mass of ribbons, Sion unwrapped the gift, taking the lid off the box, cautiously looking inside. Placing the lid off to the side, the Roland King picked up the strange piece of folded cloth, pealing the layers of different fabric away to unveil a delicate golden mirror. Sitting down in his chair, Sion carefully turned the mirror, looking at the fine craftsmanship of it, barely glancing at his reflection as he looked at the words inscribed around the glass. It was in an old language, one of the few he had never gotten around to learning.

Placing the hand mirror down, Sion picked up the material that the mirror had been wrapped in, his hands deftly pulling the different pieces apart. Looking at the different materials that were now separated, Sion felt a blush creep up his face as he recognized a set of woman's undergarments and a sheer woman's nightdress. Quickly dropping those back into the box, Sion picked up the last and largest piece of cloth. Unfolding it, Sion stared at the largest, almost royal looking baby blanket that he had ever seen.

"What? I have no intention of being married or having children... What is..?!" Sneezing, Sion waved at the silver dust that came off the blanket, tickling his nose. Coughing as it became worse, Sion dropped the blanket, standing up sharp enough to knock his chair over and send his pampered pooches' scattering. Flailing around his study, Sion tried to locate the doors to his balcony, some dust having gotten in his eyes. This went on for a few moments, after which Sion finally located the doors and ran out onto the balcony, coughing as gasping in the clean air, his hand presses over his heart.

Sion stood outside his study for an hour, his gold eyes watching as the dust dispersed out through the window as he leaned against the banister, his three dogs huddled around his feet. He felt woozy, but he assumed that it was from the air denied to his lungs for the few minutes that he couldn't find the door. Stepping back into his work space, the Roland King proceeded to open every window he could, throwing the curtains wide as the usual breeze through the kingdom blew through. After comforting his three pets, Sion put everything back into the box, covering his nose and mouth as he dropped the blanket in, the mirror placed delicately on top. Placing the lid back on, Sion placed the box off on one of his bookshelves, well out of his way.

"There. I'll take care of you later. Now, let's start on that monstrous pile of paperwork." Sion sat down at his desk, the box going to the far reaches of his mind as hours passed, the pile of completed papers almost even with the pile of uncompleted work. Sitting back, Sion rubbed his eyes, exhaustion pulling at him as a maid came in with his lunch.

"You need to eat your majes... ?!" Looking up at the maid, Sion felt his face twist in confusion. Why had she stopped mid statement like that? Was there something wrong with his face? Looking over at the box, Sion felt his stomach sink as he took off to his private bathroom, the maid shrieking behind him about an intruder in the King's study.

Staring back at him from the mirror was a petite woman whose bosom looked too large for her tiny stature with large golden eyes and long white hair, almost four feet longer than his own. For a long moment he just stared at the reflection, paying no mind to his generals who had come running to find the so called intruder. Looking over at the gathered men, Sion did the only thing that came to mind.

He screamed; a high, feminine scream that echoed through out the castle and caused all of his generals to clamp their hands over their ears. He would have to give Lucile some credit though; he barely even flinched at the horrifying noise that erupted from his throat.

"I see that his majesty has finally joined the ranks of those who yearn so much for his bed." Sion gaped at the head of the Eris family, his - her - jaw dropping at the comment. Here she was, having been transformed from a man into a woman and he's making jokes?! She had the possibility of having her head cut off and Lucile was taking a crack at her? Blind fury clouded the King turned Queen's eyesight, her hands coming up to throttle her body guard.

"You think this is funny Lucile?! I've just lost over half of my body mass and have the possibility of someone trying to over throw my rule and you're cracking a joke!" The Eris head barely blinked as she choked him, barely phased be the grip that - while most likely deadly to a normal man - barely even left a mark on him. He let his Queen's fury run its course, knowing from experience with his two younger sisters that it was better to just have them let it out then for them to bottle it up. He had seen very few explosions of anger from Sion as a man and he did not want to find out what happened when a female Sion became so infuriated that she could no longer control even the magic she used.

It seemed that it only took a few moment's from Sion's fit of anger to run its course, the small woman slumping against Lucile in exhaustion as the adrenaline left her system. The blonde man carefully helped his charge over to her bed, smoothing her hair like he had seen her lover do when she became too stressed and he was about.

"Everything will be alright your majesty. I am here, and I will send for Ryner Lute and Ferris immediately. Your safety is my priority over everything else." Lucile backed away when Sion shook her head furiously, standing in his customary spot next to her.

"No! You will do no such thing Lucile!" Sion stood up sharply, her shoulders shaking. "I refuse to let anyone outside of this room see me in this state! Figure out how to reverse this, this is your other priority Lucile. You and Miran will work together to figure out how to reverse this."

Lucile frowned at that statement, looking over at the darkly clad lieutenant general. He did not like the adopted child of the former Marquis Froaude. Working with him would be difficult, but he would please his king and do as ordered.

"As you wish your majesty. Did you receive something that was odd today, you highness?"

Lucile watched at Sion gathered her floor length robes up and walked to her study, himself following a step and a half behind while the generals walked eight paces behind him. Even with her shorter state, Sion still seemed to emit an air of male nobility and power. She led them over to one of her less cluttered bookcases, picking up a gaudy baby pink and blue box that was covered with ribbons.

"This was on my desk this morning. After I unwrapped everything, the blanket in here emitted a silvery dust. It took me a few minutes to get outside because a piece got in my eyes. I choked on it for about five minutes." Taking the box, Lucile looked it over, holding the lid on as he turned it over in his hands. There didn't seem the be anything outwardly different about this box from any other box, but looks could be deceiving.

"I do not see anything on the outside of the box. Froaude, what do you see?" Handing the lieutenant general the box, Lucile watched as Sion picked up her pets, cuddling them in a way that he hadn't before. He frowned at the way she coddled them, whispering that she loved them and smothering them in kisses. This was strange behavior for their king, but it did give him an idea as to what could be ailing him.

"I conclude the same, Lord Eris." Taking the box back, Lucile stepped to the opposing side of the desk, placing the box between himself and Miran.

"Very well them. Since his majesty has already begun to suffer the effects of this box, it is safe to assume that neither of us shall be affected by it. However, you are free to wear a face cover if it eases your mind, Lieutenant Froaude." Lucile smiled, knowing that it unnerved everyone. Sion only said work together, she never said that he couldn't make Froaude feel uncomfortable.

"No need, it was obviously meant to affect his majesty and only his majesty. This box never came through my office for inspection, which piques my interest because it is nigh impossible for an intruder to make it this far into the castle." Lucile frowned, knowing that Miran was correct. No one with ill intent made it past even the gardens, which left the question of what this box contained, and what spell was put upon their king. Sion looked up, her large golden eyes tracking their movements with a hawks gaze, his strategic mind stuck inside the small body of a woman.

Lucile lifted the lid off the box, the others in the room standing back for a moment before they inched closer, Sion being the only one to stay in her seat. Froaude reached in and pulled the mirror from the top, looking it over as he read the inscription, his eyes sliding over the figures that had been made into the gold. The mirror would cost a fortune, even for a person of the wealthy class. The black diamonds, mother of pearl, ivory, and other precious stones that were inlaid to the gold were worth a hefty sum, not to mention the fact that the rest of the mirror was made of pure gold.

On the back of the hand mirror, Froaude took note of the resemblance of one of the figures to Sion. The figure was well crafted, though the figure was half male, half female. The rest of the details were almost life like. Ivory for the skin, white fire opal for the hair, twin yellow orange zircon for they eyes, as well as black star sapphire, red orange fire opals, blue sapphires, and pink violet spinel made up the clothing. The other adult figure held a strong resemblance to the Alpha Stigma bearer, Ryner Lute. Long rows of blue sapphire made up his cloak, Swiss blue topaz for his jacket, black spinel and black star sapphire for his hair, and a pair of twin red orange fire opals set in a pair of mocha moonstone crystals for his eyes. Between the two figures on the mirror was a smaller, younger figure. There was no way to determine the sex of the figure, though it held the hands of the two adults. This child figure had a pair of red orange fire opals set in a pair of yellow orange zircon as their eyes, black spinel and black star sapphire for their hair, and their clothing was made up of emeralds, black star sapphires, and Swiss blue topaz.

"The inscription around the mirror itself roughly translates to 'Ye barren woes no more, thy Father shall be thy Mother, and thy Mother shall be thy Father.' The language is old, but there are some similarities to our written language as well as the written languages of the surrounding countries." Miran handed the mirror over to Lucile, the blonde man looking it over with the same scrutiny. Lucile said nothing as he placed it down, only glancing over at Sion as he placed it down on the desk gently, pulling the box closer as he reached in, pulling out the royal purple blanket that Sion had said emitted the silver dust. Patting it, Lucile tossed it out over the back of the chair, noting that nothing emitted from the blanket.

"I detect none of the silver dust that you found earlier, you majesty." Sion frowned, standing up and walking around to stand next to Lucile, picking the blanket up and looking it over herself. Looking back into the box, Lucile picked up the remaining pieces of cloth. Placing the clothing out, Lucile noticed how the others in the room became flustered, looking away from the items. Looking at the sheer dress and the female underclothes, Lucile raised an eyebrow at all of them. Had none of them ever bedded a woman? Turning to Sion, Lucile picked up the undergarments.

"Your majesty, perhaps we should retire to your rooms for a moment so that you can put these on to help relieve the weight of your breasts from your back." Sion's face turned an interesting shade of scarlet as she nodded, almost scurrying away to get to her rooms. Following his queen, Lucile thought over the items that were found in the box, the words that were inscribed on the mirror, and the mirror itself. There were all the indications of a fertility spell used for couples who have been unable to produce a child, where either one or both of the couple were barren. The King had only one lover, and since Sion himself was not a woman, it was impossible for them to produce a child. This spell, however, made that possible. But Sion did not want her lover to be called back from his mission, having ordered Lucile to not even both sending for them.

The problem with that was, if this was indeed a fertility spell that changes the genders of the couple for them to reproduce and had been modified for a male couple, then the only way for the spell to be reversed was for Sion and his lover to be together and procreate the child - or children. Frowning, Lucile closed the doors to the King's suite, locking them as he waited for Sion to strip down. Sion, however, was fidgeting nervously, her hands shaking as she pulled at her belt, pulling it off slowly. Sighing, Lucile walked over, batting her hands away, quickly disrobing the woman whose arms shot up to cover her chest from him, her usually pale face a deep scarlet as she stood in front of him.

"Your majesty need not worry about such things with me. I only wish to help you dress and help relieve the pain that you have no doubt been experiencing since the change." Sion still refused to look him in the eye, her eyes cast either down or away from his face. Lucile knew that the King usually dressed himself, the thought of having another being dress him bothered him to no end, so putting the corset on her was going to be a challenge in and of itself.

Pulling the lace of the corset off completely, Lucile forcefully pulled Sion's arms away from her chest, placing both of them in one hand as he pushed the corset up and under her breasts before releasing her. Sion's hands come up to shove him away as she clutched the material close to her chest, her eyes wide in fright.

"What the hell is your problem, Lucile?!" Smirking darkly, Lucile stepped closer to his ruler, bending over so that he could get into her face. She backed away from him, shaking as she gripped the stiff fabric of the corset tighter to her chest, all to aware of her state of undress.

"Nothing at all, your majesty. Just dressing you." Spinning her around so that her hands were braced against the wall, Lucile started to lace the corset up, pulling and tightening the cord so that it was taunt. Several times he had to either swat at Sion's rear or grab her waist to keep her from moving as he worked on the corset. Before he finished lacing the back up, Lucile turned her around, looking at the placement of the corset against her chest before shifting it over until it was even on both sides. Turning her back around, Lucile finished lacing the back up, tying it tightly just under her the wings for her arms. Picking up the pair of underwear that he had pulled from the box as well, Lucile held them out to Sion in offer.

"Would you like to put these on yourself, you majesty?" Sion all but snatched them from his hand, sitting down as she slipped them on over her legs, standing as she pulled them into place. Lucile had her clothing ready for her, helping her put it back on, leaving the neck of the shirt open so that it wouldn't be uncomfortably tight around Sion's neck. Tying the belt in place, Lucile stepped back, smiling at his perturbed ruler. In return, he received a dark scowl as Sion picked her cloak up, heading back to her study.

Lucile followed her, knowing that he had figured out what was happening to their King, only having to discuss it with Froaude to please Sion. Sion kept glancing back at him, her gold eyes tracking him, what happened back in her rooms bothering her. Lucile knew that Sion had an idea as to why she was like this, but needed confirmation as to what she was going to have to suffer through to break it. Claugh scowled at Lucile as he walked in after Sion, going over to Sion, asking if anything was wrong in a low tone that was meant to keep the conversation between himself and Sion.

"Did he do something your majesty?" Sion looked at Lucile from the corner of her eyes, watching as the Eris headed over the desk, talking with Miran as they looked over the remaining objects. Claugh watched as well, knowing that something was wrong, thoughts of what almost happened to Noa flashing through his mind. '_I won't let anything like that happen to his majesty while he's like this. Even if it means going up against that freak.'_

"I'm fine, Claugh. Lucile only did what was necessary." Claugh frowned, knowing that Sion was lying to him. She wasn't limping or flinching away from him, so nothing along the lines for forced intercourse happened, but considering that it only took them a matter of a few minutes to return, Claugh knew that something was up.

"I see. Forgive me for imputing, your majesty. If you need anything, please come to Noa and I. If nothing else, Noa knows what it is to be a woman and what surprises await in the future." Sion nodded, smiling a little.

"Thank you, Claugh. If this is irreversible, I shall come to you and Noa for assistance in settling into this new form." Claugh sighed as he got the closest thing to an admittance of weakness from Sion, nodding as he smiled a little.

Looking up as they were approached, Claugh watched as Lucile and Miran shook their heads at Sion in unison. Claugh felt his stomach sink as he looked at the remaining items in the box, Sion's face falling.

"Your majesty, it is the opinion of Lieutenant Froaude and myself that this is a modified fertility spell." Sion gapped at the two men, looking between them as she stepped unconsciously closer to Claugh, the admiral glancing at her as she did so.

_'She's afraid that they'll try and take advantage of her while she's under this spell. Not an irrational fear, considering that the only way this kind of spell ends is when the affected pair have the child in their arms.'_ Claugh scowled at Miran and Lucile, standing closer to Sion, silently declaring that he wasn't going to allow either of them to even think about trying to bed their ruler. Miran's eyes flashed angrily at him as he did so, Lucile just smiling at him, nodding almost unnoticeably at Claugh.

"Your majesty, it would be best if we called Ryner Lute and Ferris back. Considering the circumstances..." Sion snarled at Froaude for even brining up the very notion. While Lucile, Claugh, and Froaude knew of his relationship with Ryner, she had no intention of having his entire staff know about it.

"No. I will find a way to reverse this without having to go through with what you are suggesting." Taking the box from Lucile, Sion turned to Claugh. "It appears that I shall be taking you up on your offer. Please, go and get Noa and explain to her what has happened before returning here. As for the rest of you, you're all dismissed to return to your duties."

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_So? Review and tell me what you think!_


	2. Lady Like?

_**Hiya! Here's chapter two!**_

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**Chapter 2: Lady Like?**

The amount of things that a woman needed to know was astounding. After Claugh Klom left to retrieve his own lover, Sion had sat down at her desk again, holding her head in her one of her hands while she stared at the other. It was so much smaller than what she was used to looking at, dainty and delicate, soft and smooth. His hands were large and rough, calluses' from his years of swordsmanship hard and deep enough that no amount of lotions or oils would ever smooth them away.

For his hands to be so smooth... It was disturbing to feel even the slightest touch of a breeze it paper.

"Your majesty?" Looking up, Sion smiled when he saw the Estabulian princess standing in the doorway, the young woman's blue eyes large in disbelief. Sion looked past her to see Claugh and Lucile deep in discussion, the blonde man leading the fiery red head away from Sion's study. Standing up, Sion chuckled sheepishly as Noa's eyes became larger, her eyes taking in his diminished height and newly acquired curves; curves that still felt strange and awkward.

"Hi, Noa. It's me, I promise." Sion walked around to other side of her desk, one of her hands holding up her cloak so she wouldn't trip. Noa stood there for a moment, her eyes taking in Sion's new look, her look turning calculating as she started to circle the King. Sion stood still for her, knowing that it would be over faster if she didn't fight it, even as she turned her head, following Noa's movements.

"Fertility spell?" Nodding, Sion tugged uncomfortably at her collar, her clothes tight around her chest and throat. Unbuttoning a few more of the buttons of her shirt, Sion sighed as the cloth loosened, even as her breasts were beginning to become exposed. Sion frowned as she looked down at the two mounds producing from her chest. He had thought that woman's clothing were unnecessarily large when he was a child after seeing some of his mothers, but now he knew why. They had to comfortably fit their breasts inside their clothes and not have it tighten around their throats.

"It was delivered with an ordinate mirror, a set of lady's.. underclothes, a large baby blanket, and.." Sion blushed, shifting uncomfortably. "And a sheer nightie..."

Noa giggled, one of her hands coming up to cover her smiled as her shoulders shook. Sion looked at her in surprise. What was so funny about her current predicament? Noa coughed a couple times as she stifled her laughter, a small smile still on her face as she stepped closer to Sion.

"Your majesty, I know that you have had no interest in woman in the past, but there's no need to be embarrassed about receiving a sheer night dress, or some panties and a corset. With how.. active you and Ryner are, either one of you were bound to have wanted something like this eventually." Sion felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment; she had no idea that Noa of all people knew of her relationship with the Alpha Stigma bearer.

She had hoped that no one other than Lucile and Miran had known about her unprofessional relationship with the taboo breaker, maybe the occasional maid who stumbled across them sleeping late or fooling around in the bathroom. Leaning against the front of her desk, Sion held her hand over her mouth, her face redder than an apple. This was.. embarrassing, overwhelming... and disgraceful. He said he would never be like other nobles, taking advantage of another, but he loved Ryner... When he was around, Sion tried to always be there with him, knowing that it was only when Ryner was in Roland that he could spend time with the man, almost monopolizing Ryner.

"Your majesty?" Looking at the Estabulian princess, Sion's face kept a light dusting of blush across her face as Noa smiled softly. She wasn't mocking his choices in life, or declaring that he was an unfit king, or even running away in disgust. He knew that some of the upper class of Roland liked to... enjoy the pleasures of the flesh with those other than their spouses and often with those much younger than themselves. Since his take over of the throne from Roland's past king and his own father, Sion had tried to find ways to stop at the least the abuse of children and woman like his mother. He hated his father with a burning passion, something that he never confided with anyone, not Lucile, Miran, or even Ryner. His problems with his father were his own, even after he took the throne from his father and his legitimate children. He knew that he was not the only illegitimate child from his father, the King was notorious for his escapades with common women, but he would try his hardest to save another woman and child from suffering the same fate as his mother and himself.

His father was the very reason he didn't want children. He knew that the Roland people were disappointed when he rose into power and never took a queen. More than a couple of nobles had sent letters to him, either demanding to know why he - regardless to the fact that he was a young man with many years ahead of him - had no queen or praising their daughters, trying to get him to take one of them as his queen so that they could sway his favor. His answer was always that he had not found the right woman or that he was not interesting in marrying at the time.

Honestly, he never wanted to marry, in fear of turning out to be just like his own father. He wanted to step out and away from his father's shadow, taking the first step when he rebelled, letting Ryner live and making his way up to becoming the Hero King that he was called to this day. He feared near nothing short of a horrible war that would rip his country and its people to shreds, except for the thought of marriage.

Marriage was a scab the he kept scratching because of the memory of his mother. He needed to go and visit her grave soon...

"You're scared. What scares you more, the people finding out, or Ryner leaving?" Flinching, Sion looked at Noa in shock, her eyes wide. She was terrified about both of those things; the people finding out and rebelling against him because it not only meant her own death, but Ryner's as well. That gnawed on his conscious nonstop, one of the many things that kept him awake long into the night. Another was the fear that Ryner would grow tired of him and his need for secrecy, that the taboo breaker would leave him alone with no one else to love or be loved by. Being left alone on his pedestal where he was only loved for his power and title rather than for who he was.

Sliding down the front of her desk, Sion hugged her legs to her chest, hiding her face in her face in her knees. Noa knelt down in front of her, smoothing Sion's hair as she settled down next to the obviously upset woman. Sitting next to Sion, Noa pulled her closer, hugging Sion close, comforting her king in the only way she could.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried your highness..." Sion pulled her head up enough to look at her, tears in her eyes. She wasn't angry with Noa, but having her world literally turned upside down and then all of her fears pulled to the surface was too overwhelming. She wasn't used to the hormones and the emotions that a woman had that she now had to learn to deal with. Not to mention that she was stressed over the fact that Ryner and Ferris were due back form their quest with a few Hero Relics within a fortnight.

"It's fine. Everything's just... Overwhelming, that's all." Noa giggled, still running her hand over Sion's hair and back. Looking at her, Sion rubbed the tears out of her eyes, curious as to what Noa found amusing.

"I imagine that if one day I was turned into a man with no forewarning or knowledge that I would be overwhelmed as well. A man is very different from a woman, from the physical differences to the mental ones." Noa smiled, standing up and dusting her skirt off before holding a hand out to Sion. "Come, lets go find you some clothes that actually fit your new body then go to a dress maker to have some more dresses and corsets made for you. The one you have on looks about right, except for the cups. Those are a little too small for your breasts. They'll become painful and overly sensitive if you wear that one for much longer than a couple of days."

Nodding, Sion got up, picking her too long clothing up from the floor as she left with Noa, walking past Lucile and Claugh, heading toward Noa's room. Both men looked up as they walked past, Noa holding onto Sion's hand as they talked with each other in hushed voices, Estabul's Princess smiling as she began to explain about the differences of men and woman. Claugh looked down at Lucile, both of them confused as to why Noa and Sion were suddenly so close only after a few minutes. The blonde man shrugged his shoulders as he hurried after them, his footsteps light as Claugh followed, his own steps much louder.

Both women looked back at them, Noa closing her door in their face with a slight scowl as Sion sat down at Noa's vanity. Lucile scowled at the door before sitting down outside of it, knowing that Sion would only order him to wait outside anyway. Claugh chuckled, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, closing his eyes as he listened to Noa move around her rooms.

Turning away from the door, Noa smiled at Sion, who was looking at the different items that she had left out on her vanity when Claugh had come to retrieve her. Pulling the chair from her desk over to sit next to Sion at the vanity, Noa picked up one of her hairbrushes, untying Sion's hair tie and unbraiding her hair, running her fingers through the baby fine locks. Sion turned her head a little, looking at Noa from the corner of her eye as Noa began to run the hairbrush though her white locks. The last person he had let brush his hair after his mother died was Ryner. Noa brushed her hair differently than either of them. His mother used to run her fingers though his hair to find as many knots before she ran a comb through his hair. Ryner started from the ends of his hair and worked his way up with Sion's comb. But Noa... Noa started from the top with a hairbrush, using her fingers to work through the next bit of hair she was going to work on.

Looking in the mirror, Sion looked at herself, seeing every minuet difference, from her larger eyes to the obvious difference of her breasts. Looking at her reflection, Sion felt tears well in her eyes as she took in how much she looked like her mother. The only difference between what she looked like now and her mother were her eyes; Sion's eyes were the same her fathers; the person she hated the most. Her mother's eyes were a soft brown, filled with kindness and love that he never saw in the eyes of his tyrannical king of a father, the eyes that he inherited from him. Noa looked at her through the mirror, her hands stopping their rhythmic motions to hug Sion around the shoulders.

"Let it out. I know that you think that you have to be strong, even now, but you'll just hurt yourself and someone you care deeply about if you hold that anger and sadness in any longer." Looking at Noa, Sion shuddered as a sob rattled through her body, tears falling down her cheeks in rivers. Noa hugged Sion, rubbing her back as she placed her chin over the crown of Sion's head. Sion wrapped her arms around Noa's middle, crying into her collar. Smoothing Sion's hair, Noa hugged her, letting the woman tire herself out. Sion hiccupped, rubbing at her cheeks as she pulled away from Noa's chest, sniffing a little. Taking a few shaky breaths, Sion sat back up, nodding as Noa started to brush her hair again.

"I'm fine... Thank you, Noa." Smiling at the princess, Sion watched as she stood up and began to braid two smaller braids like the two that Noa had in her own hair. Watching her in wonder, Sion held onto the unfinished, combined braid as she started on another, until all of her hair was pulled back into multiple braids that combined into one.

"We don't want anyone to recognize you, and I know that you like your hair pulled back and out of the way, so this works both ways." Noa smiled, tying the end off with a small tie. Moving over to her closet, Noa opened it, kneeling down to open the chest that sat in the bottom. Shifting through the packed away gowns of her childhood, Noa smiled as she triumphantly held up a simple white and blue gown.

Standing up, she smiled as she presented it to Sion, laying it out on the bed. Mostly white, the navy trim wound around the cuffs of the sleeves and neckline. A blue underskirt peaked out from the white, a sash laid out next to the dress to be tied around the waist. Standing up, Sion smiled, as she hugged Noa.

"Thank you." Noa smiled, hugging her back.

"Come, lets get you changed then head out to the dressmaker so we can get you some of your own clothes that fit comfortably." Nodding, Sion pulled her clothes undone, sliding out of the awkwardly tight yet loose men's clothing. Standing in her underwear and boots - that shrank when he had changed into a woman, thank the heavens - Sion carefully pulled the open dress down over her head, sliding her arms into the sleeves and pulling her head through the open collar. Letting the dress fall down into its place, Sion picked her hair up as Noa began to button up the back. Sion giggled as Noa accidentally brushed against her sides with feather light touches. Noa smiled as she did it again, giggling as she made Sion laugh and wiggle, trying to get away from the ticklish feeling.

Lucile and Claugh listened as the two women laughed through the closed door, both of them looking at said door. Looking at each other, the men shrugged as the laughter died down, Sion and Noa emerging from the Princess's room. Both men gaped at the woman that they knew to be their Hero King; a small slip of a woman who suddenly looked far more graceful and beautiful than before. The curves that had been hidden by Sion's usual robes we're now accented by the form fitting white and blue dress, the sash pulling the eye away from Sion's protruding chest and toward her waist and hips. Sion blinked at them, stepping out into the hallway as Noa followed, looking at the flabbergasted men as well.

"It appears that they can't process the image you make, your majesty." Blushing, Sion pulled her cloak on, the hood left down as she clasped the pin in place. Pulling her hair out and into the hood, Sion walked away from the stunned men with Noa, nodding as she listened to Noa tell her what the Dressmaker was going to have to do to measure her for the dresses and corsets.

* * *

It only took Noa a matter of a few moments to convince the guards to let herself and Sion out of the palace without an escort. The duo left the awestruck Lucile and Claugh in the hallway, knowing that they would only be unneeded baggage and cause them trouble if they brought the two men along. Pulling her hood up, Sion held onto Noa's hand tightly as they weaved in and out of the crowd, Sion almost jogging to keep up with the taller woman.

Both woman laughed when they heard Claugh begin yelling at the guards, the red haired man's voice carrying out into the castle town. Noa grinned as they continued to weave through the crowded marketplace, her hair whipping to and fro with her movements. Sion held her hood up, knowing that its color would cause a scene, smiling as she caught a glimpse of Lucile in the crowd, but she quickly lost sight of him as Noa tugged her down a side street, away from the main street of the shops and market stalls. Looking around, Sion panted a little from the sprint that they had just run, slowing down to a more leisurely pace with Noa.

"I've never been to this part of town before." Noa looked at him in surprise.

"Really? I thought you grew up in this castle town." Sion nodded, looking around at the less busy street, at the different shops that showed their wares off in window displays.

"I grew up in the slums. I only saw the market when I went with my mother, often hiding behind her skirts. My mother made all of our clothes herself." Noa frowned as she looked at her King. The look in her eyes were that of child like wonder, her gold eyes taking in everything that they possibly could. How was it that one of the son's of the previous king had never seen most of his on kingdom, she would have figure that out on her own with some help from Claugh. Leading Sion into one of the smaller shops, Noa smiled as she waved at the woman behind the counter.

"Hello Ms. Taylan." The middle aged woman looked up from her needle work, smiling as she laid the dress she had been working on down. Sion looked around at the dresses that were in different stages of completion, all of them eye catching.

"Lady Noa, It's wonderful to see you again." Noa smiled as she hugged the woman, the tailoress being one of the first people to become a friend of hers since she moved to Roland. Pulling away reluctantly, Noa giggled as she watched Sion look around the shop, her hands pressed under her arms as she looked to keep herself from touching. It was obvious that Sion had never been to a tailor shop before by the way she was walking around now.

"Whose your friend?" Smiling, Noa pulled her cloak off, folding it over her arm as Sion froze, a dark blush creeping over her face as she quietly walked back over to them.

"Leto, this is an old friend of mine from Estabul. She's supposed to be his majesty's escort to the Harvest Ball in a fortnight. Since she came in such a hurry, all of her clothes were left behind. You think it would be possible to make her some corsets and dresses, as well as a ball gown for the Harvest Ball?" Sion stood next to Noa, pulling her hood down slowly. Leto let out a soft gasp as Sion's hood fell completely away, her white hair falling out of the hood in a braided waterfall. Shifting nervously, Sion looked to Noa for help, completely lost as to what to do.

"You are beautiful, with your white hair and amber eyes... I would dare say that you would be a ringer for his majesty if he was a woman." Leto smiled, winking and giggling a little as she got the others to laugh, Noa covering her mouth with her laughter as Sion's shoulders shook, smiling broadly. Even though the joke was true, it was still funny, considering the circumstances. Pulling out her measuring tape, a pencil and some paper, Leto ushered Sion into the back of the shop, taking her cloak from her.

"Come along dearie, lets get you changed and measured so we can get you some clothes that fit you. From what I can see, your corset is a bit too small." Sion stepped into the back room, looking at Noa for help. She didn't know what was going on at all, making this pushy woman all the more terrifying. Noa followed them, sitting down in one of the chairs. Leto helped Sion undress, pulling the corset loose.

"I was right. This corset is a bit too small. We need to make it one size larger with cups that are three times as large." Blushing, Sion crossed her arms over her chest, covering her breasts as much as she could. The corset already seemed large as it was, and for her to need a larger corset with even larger cups just seemed insane. Noa smiled a little, remembering the first time she was measured for a corset. "Lady Noa, you brought me a blushing bride!"

Looking up in surprise, Noa stared at Leto for a moment before she looked at Sion. Sion most certainly was acting like a blushing bride, or a virgin sacrifice with the way that she held herself, trying to keep herself as covered as she could. Leto slowly coaxed Sion to let her arms down so she could measure her properly.

"Don't worry darling. I locked the door so no one will walk in." Sion followed her instructions, Moving and lifting her arms in the way that Leto directed her. Noa sat back, smiling. It was nice to see Sion relax a bit, his normal stiff upper lip missing.

"Your hair reminds me of fresh snow under the full moon... Hmmm..." Leto handed Sion a robe as she began to sketch out a ball gown, muttering to herself. "This is the Harvest ball, to celebrate a good fall harvest and the coming of winter..." Sion pulled the robe on tight around her waist, sitting down next to Noa as she waited to the seamstress to need her again.

"Yes! in this you will be the belle of the ball!"

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**_Review please!_**


	3. As The World Falls Down

_**HI~! Here's chapter 3! I hope you like it!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN **_**THE LEGEND OF LEGENDARY HEROES _OR _AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN_ BY DAVID BOWIE__ IS ANY WAY! I ONLY OWN THE IDEA AND FEM!SION_**

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**CHAPTER 3: As The World Falls Down**

Sion paced her rooms, chewing on her nails. Tonight was the Harvest ball, as well as the night that Ferris and Ryner were returning. All day she had been looking over her shoulder, praying that she wouldn't see either of them. Her ball gown had been brought to her a few hours ago while she worked on an illusion spell that would last for at least part of the ball.

Illusion spells were always tricky, even to him and Ryner. The amount of focus and precision needed to not only start one but maintain it for more than a few seconds was torturous to an untrained magician. But even as a master sorcerer, Sion was still having difficulties. She was attempting to attach the spell to her cloak, grounding the spell and making it easier for herself to focus equally on her spell, guests, and avoiding Ryner.

Currently, she was just in her corset and a couple layers of the underskirts to her dress. Noa had helped her with her make up and pulling her hair back into two simple braids that kept the rest of her long tresses out of her face earlier before she left to her own rooms to get ready. Over the past fourteen days, Noa had been almost beating everything that Sion needed to know about being a woman into her head. Everything from walking in heels to the speech patterns that woman used, Sion knew how to do it, even if some of it was only in theory. Looking out her window, Sion sighed as she watched more and more people begin to trickle in to the palace.

_'I don't want to do this... Ryner...Help...'_

"I see that you received my little gift, your majesty." Spinning around, Sion stared wide eyed at the noble man who stood next to her bed, playing with her ball gown. His long blonde hair framed a face that bore a striking resemblance to Ryner's, the same smirk on his lips. "Beautiful. So you are going to be the impending winter of our Harvest Ball, Sion Astal?"

Hands shooting up to cover herself, Sion backed away from the unknown man, grabbing her robe and clutching to her chest. The man held the dress close, pressing it against his nose and mouth as he sat down on Sion's bed.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Sion glanced toward her balcony, whimpering softly when she didn't see Lucile's shadow. No doubt he was down taking care of a few last minute things to help keep Sion's sudden femininity a secret.

"No one, your majesty. Just checking in on my son's lover." Sion almost shrieked in surprise as she pressed her back against the wall as the man shot from the bed to standing inches from her face. Her golden eyes were wide as she tried to inch away from him, whimpering as his arms trapped her from either side of her. He leaned closer to her face, Sion's hands coming up to try and force him away.

"No! Get away from me!" Tears pricked at the corners of Sion's eyes, her breaths becoming short with panic, causing her breasts to bounce and scare her even more. "Ryner! Lucile! Somebody!"

"Shh... There's no need for that." The man cupped her cheeks, pulling her away from the balcony and the wall, pressing his thumbs against Sion's lips. Sion grabbed at his wrists, desperately trying to pull away from the unknown man, trying to remove his hands from her person. His grip was like iron, nigh impossible to remove as he pulled her over to the opposite side of the room, almost tossing her into her bathroom as he picked up the rest of her ball gown. Scrambling farter into her bathroom, Sion frantically looked around for any type of weapon, all the spells coming to mind only being those for long ranged attack. Spells that were completely useless to her in the confined spaces of her rooms. Seeing a broom - something a new maid no doubt left behind on accident when all available hands were called to help finish the preparations for the ball - Sion snatched it up, holding the bristled end out threateningly.

"Stay away from me!" Sion waved the broom about as best she could in the imitation of a sword. The man blinked at the would be weapon before chuckling, grabbing the other end just above where the bristles were bound to the wood. Sion squeaked as he pulled her closer to him by the broom's handle, her heels sliding across the polished floor until she was nose to nose with him.

"Winter is very becoming of you. I can see him with in you, snarling at me from deep with in your mind." A flurry of cloth surrounded Sion, her arms being yanked through long sleeves before she was able to pull her head through the neck, disoriented.

"Coolly, you made a deal with the Mad Hero to make this country a better place for people like Feruna; those who carry the Cursed Eyes." Sion tried to open her mouth in protest, about to demand how this random man could know about such personal conversations when she was spun around, her hands grabbing the counter with the sink. The man began to pull the back of the dress taunt, lacing her in as Sion glared at him through the mirror, biting her lip as he pulled the dress tight, making it feel like a second skin with its tightness.

"You rule with a heart that appears warm to all, but I can see through that. The only warmth you hold are for those you care deeply for, yet you hide it from even them. You bury your own desires under other pretenses, such as the well being of your kingdom." Sion gasped softly as he yanked the dress even tighter, clawing at the marble of the counter, closing her eyes. It was getting harder to breath with each lace, her arms beginning to shake a little. What did this man want? All he was doing was talking about how and her reasons for becoming the Hero King of Roland.

"Perhaps this spell will changed that with in you. I can see that desire of yours to have a family. You want children of your own, deep down in your heart. But your hatred of the previous king runs deep, turning into a dark fear, a fear of becoming just like him, of hurting Ryner Lute." Sion opened her eyes in surprise, gasping softly as she looked down at her clenched hands. He was right. She was afraid, terrified almost. She wanted a family of her own, to love and coddle unconditionally, with nothing else expected from her.

The man chuckled behind her as he knotted the lace tightly, reaching up to pin the cover in place expertly. Sion leaned heavily against the counter, slowly getting used to the tightness of the dress as the man reached around to place something around her neck. Stiffening, Sion looking in the mirror in surprise as a chocker with a pendent was fastened around her neck. The red orange Sphalerite with in the pendent reminded her of the color the Alpha Stigma took on the last time she had seen it. Its deep red color seemed to glow with the same brilliance that Ryner's eyes had back then. Turning around, Sion delicately held the pendent with her fingers, looking at the would-be attacker turned dresser in confusion.

"This shall help with your illusion of your male self. It will only last for a short time, however. It's secondary effect will become apparent later." Sion stiffened as his hands came up to lightly touch her head, his fingers trailing down her long tresses. Shivering, she looked into the mirror, her eyes widening almost comically as delicate blue snowflakes littered her hair, an even more delicate ice tiara forming on her crown.

"I was not just being polite when I said that winter suits you, Sion Astal. You are our very own snow queen this year." He squeezed her shoulders before turning on his heels, exiting her bathroom. turning after him, Sion picked up her skirts, looking frantically around her rooms for him, her cloak becoming riddled with snowflakes of varying sizes.

"He's gone..." Biting her knuckle, Sion idly looked around her room again, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror that held her combs and brushes. Turning to fully look at herself, Sion covered her mouth with her hands, seeing Lucile entering through the mirror's reflection.

"Your majesty, the ball is about to begin. Are you... Ready...?" Lucile opened his eyes as he stopped mid stride, his hand still on the door handle. Sion turned around to look at him, the light from the candles around the room reflecting off the ice crystals that riddled her hair and dress, off setting the dark purples, blues, and blacks that made up her dress. Sion felt a blush creep over her face as Lucile just stood in her doorway, speechless as he looked at her.

The ball gown itself was very simple, colors that matched the colors of his clothes seamlessly and that made her waist seem small while the skirt was huge, layered in a way that was tasteful while showing off all of the colors of the different skirts. She had at least three slips on under the dress before the hoop skirt that helped to form the bell shape of the dress. The top sat around her shoulders, a small amount of bead and needle work adding some simple elegance to the dress as the sleeves clung tightly to her arms down to her wrists, covering the backs of her hands and hooking around her middle finger to stay in place.

The addition of the snowflakes and ice crystals turned her and the dress into a stunning sight.

Lucile shook his head as he snapped himself out of his startled state, holding his hand out to his king, smiling calmly as he saw the pendent around Sion's neck.

"Let us be off, your majesty. Your guests await." Nodding, Sion took his hand, holding up her skirts so she didn't trip over them. Lucile smiled as Sion released his hand, walking a head of him, her eyes set in a scowl as she walked over to one of the many grand windows. Opening the curtain, Sion's scowl deepened as her eyes narrowed dangerously in on the closed gates of her castle.

"Who closed the gates to the castle? This is not only a ball but a festival where I expect everyone from every walk of life to be at, Lucile." Lucile stood behind his king, looking through his eyelashes to look down at the gates as well. It was odd, since he had left the gates open when he had been directing and helping the maids earlier.

"I assure you that I have no idea your majesty. Do you wish them to be reopened?" Sion simply huffed at him, opening the windows before hurdling over it, using a spell to soften her landing. Her skirts billowed out around her until the illusion spell took effect, making her skirts appear like those of his usual cloak. Lucile chuckled as he followed after Sion, landing a few feet behind the infuriated monarch. Sion's usual calm stride was full of seething anger as he approached the gates, his hair whipping out behind him.

"What is the meaning of this?! Who closed the gates?!" Sion stalked over to the gates, a dark snarl on his face. Soldiers jumped to attention, shaking at the deadly aura coming from their king, their commander shaking as he saluted.

"Y-Your majesty!" Sion scowled as he noticed a few nobles beginning to turn and looked back at him in disgust. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked toward them.

"How dare you, all of you!" Sion walked over to the gates, Lucile going over with him and lifting the heavy bar of cedar that was used to keep the gates closed. Pushing with Lucile's help, Sion threw the gates open, smiling as he saw the people who had gathered around, confused as to why the gates were closed. Sion raised his arms high, smiling as he addressed his people.

"Please, this is a festival, and all of you are welcome inside at your leisure!" Sion smiled as he knelt down and took the offered flower that a young girl was holding out to him. He kissed her hand the same way he would any noble, chuckling as she blushed.

"Thank you, young lady. Would you like to come inside with your family?" The girl looked toward her parents who nodded before she smiled widely, nodding eagerly. Chuckling, Sion stood up, taking her hand in his as he led the commoners inside, brushing past the surprised and disgusted nobles. He had made it perfectly clear before that he judged people on their opinions and wants rather than their birth rank.

Standing in the middle of the dance floor, Sion knelt down, knowing that all eyes were on him as he did so.

"Would you care to dance with me?" Sion smiled as the girl looked at him in awe, nodding slightly.

"You must forgive me if I stumble, I don't dance much." The girl laughed as the musicians began to play, Sion slowly leading her into a waltz, smiling and laughing with her as he remembered the times he used to be in her position when the Harvest festival came around when he was younger. Around them, nobles and commoners watched in awe as their king stooped over to dance with a child, a silly smile gracing his lips as he picked her up to spin them, the girl laughing happily as she wrapped her small arms around his neck.

Other children from both classes began to run out and join them, much to some of the nobles distress. They linked hands together in a wide circle around Sion and the little girl, the commoner children teaching the noble children the dances and songs they knew, all of them moving in unison after a couple of bumpy starts that had everyone laughing together. Sion and the little girl soon joined them in their dance, both of them far more comfortable with the folk dances they both knew than the waltz that Sion had been forced to learn. Sion smiled as the adults began to join in, singing along with the children as they formed the outer circle, high born and low born holding hands together as they danced in the opposite direction of the center circle.

* * *

All that Ryner wanted to do was sleep. That's all; was it too much to ask for, a few hours of sleep after traveling all day to get back to Roland? Apparently it was since he was whisked off to be scrubbed raw before he was thrown into a some clothes that he never knew that he owned before this moment. Combing his hair, Ryner tried to ignore the fact that maids were running everywhere to get him ready for the Harvest ball that he did not want to attend.

Looking over at Ferris, Ryner pouted as he saw her getting dressed in clothes that looked way more comfortable than the ones that he was wearing. Taking the necktie pin from one of the maids, Ryner looked at the red orange Sphalerite crystal curiously for a moment before carefully pinning to his neck piece. If it was from Sion, who was he to argue about the fact that the stone reminded him of his Alpha Stigma?

Running a casual hand through his slightly wind blown hair, Ryner walked out of his overrun room, Ferris walked next to him. Looking at the less than usual armored swordswoman, Ryner wove his fingers together, cupping his head with them as they walked toward the ball room.

"Do you know anything about this Harvest Ball, Ferris? Like what to do and not to do?" Ferris looked at him as though he had grown a second head as they began to pass by a small group of cadets.

"The Harvest Ball is about celebrating a bountiful harvest before the winter months. I've only ever attended as a guard, as I am tonight. However, you are my charge instead of his majesty, so don't go about being a pervert tonight, Ryner." Ryner pouted at her, his shoulders slumping down as he sulked after her.

"I am not a pervert, Ferris! You know that!" The cadets turned and looked at the duo, curious as to the outburst but not wanting to offend any of the guests. Ferris smirked at him as she adjusted the frog to her sword, setting it to its usual position, walking a head of him. Ryner picked his jaw up off the floor as he watched her sashay away from him, a devious smirk on her face. One would think that after traveling together from months on end that he would be used to how Ferris's mind worked, but no, it was obvious that he was not.

"Ferris!" Ryner ran after her, scowling at her. Ferris just smiled innocently at him, walking backwards. Ryner's scowl darkened as he caught up to her, huffing indigently at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't believe that Ferris had gotten one over his again, in front of impressionable cadets no less! Ferris smirked as she turned on her heel, not missing a beat as she led him to the grand ballroom.

Ryner looked around in awe at the hallway, taking note to all of the changes since the last time he had been down this exact same hallway. All around him were garlands of autumn leaves and flowers, silently dictating where guests were allowed to be and where it was unwise to venture. Ryner chuckled as he watched some of Claugh's men usher some of the more adventurous guests back into the ballroom, their commander standing in his dress uniform with his hands set on his hips, Noa giggling next to the red haired man, trying to hide her laughter behind a gloved hand. Ferris even had a small smile on her lips as they passed the couple, her and Claugh sharing a small set of nods together, acknowledging each other's presence.

Ryner frowned a little what he heard the echoes of laughter and guests talking. Personally, he hated events such as these, always feeling out of place and awkward. The only reason he forced himself to go was because Sion had practically begged him on his knees when he and Ferris were in Roland one time. Taking a deep breath, Ryner plastered a smile on his face as he walked through the grand ballroom doors, Ferris trailing behind him, like many other guards in the room.

All around him were people who had grown up surrounded by their riches, never wanting for anything, even during the war. He could barely remember who his real parents were, their images covered in both haze and a deep fog. Blinking when a group of commoner children ran past him, Ryner looked around again.

"Ferris... Am I seeing things, or are Nobles and Common folk together in here?" Ferris looked around, her face saying that she was unamused but her eyes were curious. Around them, commoner and nobles mingled together, smiling as their children interacted, showing each other different things from their very different worlds.

"It seems that you are right for once, Ryner. I guess his majesty decided to break with tradition again this year." Ryner gave her a funny look, tugging at his tie in annoyance, the pin flashing in the candle light as they walked together.

"If Sion broke with tradition, why am I forced to wear this while you get to be comfortable?" Ferris shrugged as she looked around, trying to find her brother and Sion. A frown marred her face when she didn't see them, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously, her annoyance growing.

"It appears that his majesty has refused to grace us with his presence. I can't find him or Lucile anywhere." Ryner groaned as he hung his head between his knees, squatting down as he did so.

"Are you kidding me?! I had to get all dressed up for this and he doesn't even show up?! What kind of host is that?!" Ryner groaned in annoyance as he got back up, scowling a little. Ferris giggled as they began a more intensive search for their friend, her arm resting over the hilt of her sword.

* * *

Sion held a hand over his heart as he leaned against the wall of the castle, panting as he peered through the balcony windows. Lucile stood next to him, looking around the curtain, chuckling as he faded out of existence in his usual way.

"You will have to get yourself out of there your majesty. Besides, your escort has to make an appearance at some point tonight." Lucile chuckled at Sion's flabbergast expression, the illusion spell fading away, just as the mystery man from earlier had said it would to reveal her. Her face was a dark scarlet as she tried to throttle him, her hands phasing though his neck.

"When I get my hands on you, Lucile!" Lucile chuckled, appearing on the opposite side of the ballroom, walking inside from one of the balconies, knowing that his doing so would throw Ferris and Ryner off. Sion chewed nervously on her lip as she looked inside, her skirts sparkling gently in the moonlight.

Swallowing her nervousness and pride, Sion shakily took a step inside, smiling and blushing as she had back in the tailor shop. Smiling when she caught sight of Claugh and Noa, Sion nodded at them, gesturing to the necklace as they nodded, knowing that this was who they had to look for now if something went wrong. Sion could hear the soft gasps and whispers from her guests, many of them almost openly gaping at her. Her blush darkening, Sion looked around, trying to find a quiet place for her to sit and ride out the rest of the festival.

A flurry of royal blue clouded her vision, Sion stumbling back, almost falling down until the person in front of her grabbed her wrist, setting her steady on her feet again. Looking up, Sion felt her face flush a bright scarlet as she took Ryner in. He looked like he could be the king of winter itself with the amount of blues and whites he was wearing, the only other color on him was the red orange Sphalerite that was pinned to his tie. She knew that Noa and Claugh had been up to something when they had asked her for access to Ryner's rooms, but she hadn't realized that they had hatched a plan to make them match, all the way down to the small ice crown that sat lightly on his head. Sion toyed with the pendent that hung from her neck, her face remaining a deep scarlet.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Stiffening, Sion looked up at the Alpha Stigma bearer, her eyes wide. Ryner stared back at her, his own eyes wide as he took the sight of the woman he had almost walked into in. Her silvery white hair and yellow gold eyes were almost identical to Sion's, but much longer and much wider than Ryner had ever seen Sion's. Sion smiled softly, letting out a silent sigh of relief when Ryner didn't recognize him, shuffling bashfully.

"It's alright. I wasn't paying attention so the fault is mine." Sion silently thanked Noa for teaching her everything she needed to know for this ball in time, or else she feared she may have given herself away to Ryner the moment he had bumped into her. Ryner blushed back, rubbing the back of his head.

"Really, it's my fault." Ryner couldn't pull his eyes away from the woman in front of him. It was obvious that she was dressed as the impending winter, a season that obviously fit this woman's looked, much like they did Sion's. Jumping when they orchestra started up a lively song, Ryner looked around in panic as he realized that he was trapped on the dance floor with the Ice Queen. Sion blushed as she touched Ryner's hand, averting her eyes from his face, making herself appear as innocent as she could.

"Neither of us will be able to just walk across the dance floor right now, and standing here is not an option. Would you care to dance with me, sir? I'm afraid that my nerves caused me to miss dancing with his majesty, and I've never danced at a ball before..." Sion blushed darker as she realized that she was beginning to ramble as Ryner looked toward her, the cogs in his head going through every possibility that all led to the same conclusions: dancing was his only escape.

Ryner frowned a little as he looked down at his impromptu dance partner, mulling over what she had said. Sion was not one who would stand up a guest that he had invited, so something must be seriously wrong for him to do so. Wrapping his hand around the small of the woman's back, Ryner smiled as she lightly clutched his shoulder with her right hand, her left hand lightly gripping his right. Stepping to the beat of the music, Ryner led the Ice Queen across the room in a waltz, spinning and twirling her to the other side where they could escape from the dancing guests.

"You're quiet graceful for someone whose never danced at a ball before." Ryner blushed at his miserable failure at small talk. He had just basically insulted her, calling her a recluse. The Ice Queen just laughed it off, smiling at him as he spun them around again.

"I suppose I am. And don't be embarrassed, I don't mind what you said. Besides, its true." Sion almost beamed in happiness when they reached the other side of the dance floor, Ryner giving her one last spin as the music ended. Ryner kissed her hand as he let her waist go, smiling. Sion blushed darkly as Ryner turned and left her at the edge of the dance floor, grabbing a two champagne flutes from one of the maids, thanking her as he handed one to Sion. Sion delicately raised the glass to her lips, taking a small sip, internally grimacing at the taste. Personally, he preferred a well aged dark red wine to champagne but he would deal, knowing that he had a bottle hidden away in his bedroom that not even Lucile knew about.

"I don't know why Sion would forgo an evening with such a lovely lady, but I'll bet my afternoon naps for tomorrow that he's up in his study working instead of down here attending to his guests, the arrogant ass." Sion felt her eyebrow twitch at the blatant disrespect that Ryner was showing. He knew he was a workaholic but he did so for Ryner and his people, so he didn't need Ryner to start bad talking him to his supposed guests.

"I don't know. If he hadn't left early, I wouldn't have gotten to dance with you." Sion smiled when she saw Ryner flush red, the Alpha Stigma bearer hastily putting his glass up to his lips and taking a gulp, averting his eyes. Taking another sip of the champagne, Sion blinked in surprise when she saw Noa and Claugh hurrying their way over to them.

"Si-Sara! Sara, come with me for a moment. Please excuse us, SIr!" Noa practically dragged Sion away from Ryner, the man blinking in confusion as the only person who he had talked to all night besides Ferris was dragged away. Frowning, Ryner turned and looked toward Ferris, who was happily munching on dango as her eyes kept a sharp watch on him.

"Ferris, have you seen Sion or your brother?" The blonde shook her head negatively, finishing one of the many sticks of dango in her hand. Ryner's frown deepened as he watched the white haired woman weave in and out of people, a red head leading the way as a shorter blue haired woman pulled the other along behind her. Claugh helped get the two women across the ballroom and out into the hallway, his large form and his military uniform making his commanding aura strong as the sea of people parted for them, Sion's face going from worried and concerned to distressed as she was pulled far out of the area designated for the festival.

"Noa, what is it?! What's wrong?!" Sion picked up her skirts as Lucile came into view, his concerned expression making Sion's stomach sink deep into the ground. Lucile was **_never_** visibly concerned about anything unless it was about his sisters.

"A letter from Gastark just arrived! They're declaring war on us unless you and Ryner Lute surrender yourselves to them!" Sion's eyes grew almost impossibly wide, snatching the letter away from Calne's grip. Reading the letter, Sion's eyes narrowed considerably, the tactician in him taking over.

"Under no circumstances is Ryner allowed to leave this castle! From Luke Stokkart's last report, they chase after those who bare any from of the Stigma and force them to go berserk so they can take their eyes and crystalize them to gain control of them!" Claugh and Calne saluted, Claugh running back toward the ball room to take Ryner into his custody and protection before delivering him into Lucile and Miran's care. Sion paced as she continued to read the letter, gnawing on her knuckles as she did so. It wasn't a good nervous habit that he had, but it was better than biting at his finger nails.

"Clane, I need you to keep everyone calm. Act as though nothing it wrong unless you are alone with us. Mass panic is not what we need to happen right now." Walking into her study, Sion dropped her red knuckle out from between her teeth, deftly playing with the pendent around her throat, idly making the illusion spell reactivate as she muttered to herself, trying to figure out what the best course of action would be. Lucile stood outside the door with Miran, waiting for Claugh to return with their new charge while Calne paced in front of them, holding his chin in his gloved hand as he began to formulate a plan to keep the Roland people from becoming distressed. Releasing the necklace, leaving the illusion spell in place, Sion leaned over his desk as he reread the letter for the fourth time, hardly noticing the fact that there was a lit candle in a previously unoccupied room.

"I must say, this is a pleasant surprise. The King of Roland himself walked straight into this trap." Jerking his head up, Sion cursed loudly as he ran away from the desk, hurtling over it and his chair, shattering a window in his impromptu escape plan, barely glancing over his shoulder to know that his pursuers were from Gastark. That pink hair was a rarity in Roland, usually only coming with those who were world citizens and roamed through all countries, so for there to be three people with it in the same place, they had to be working for Gastark's king. Using a spell to make himself faster, Sion jerked in surprise as his pursuers kept pace with him, the eldest of the group running in front of him and cutting off his current escape route.

"What's the hurry, your majesty?" Jumping away from the trio, Sion panted a little as he took in his would be capturers. All three of them had the same pink hair, though it appeared that the eldest had red eyes instead of blue his younger siblings shared. Of the three, Sion would have fallen easily for the only girl, who appeared to be about the same age as Iris, though her face held no expressions other than a blank neutral. "You wouldn't be afraid of us, would you, Hero King of Roland?"

"Afraid of you three? You three are nothing compared to the fifty Estabulian Magic Knights my regiment took on back in my academy days." Standing up to his full height, Sion inwardly cursed as he had trouble breathing through not only the corset but the ball gown as well. The outfit was compressing his chest and abdomen, making him feel light headed and dizzy as his lungs and body burned for more oxygen. The trio glanced at each other for a split second before launching themselves at him, each of them trying to grab him from different angles and heights.

Grunting as he forcefully twisted and moved his body in ways that the corset protested venomously against, making Sion bit the inside of his cheek in pain until it bled as he jumped away from the trio. Spitting out the mouthful of blood, Sion wiped his chin in distain and he looked at them, standing back up from his crouched landing.

"You're better than I gave you credit for. But you're ruining my gardens with this silly king-napping attempt." Kicking the loose sand in the direction of their eyes, Sion turned and sprinted out of his rose garden and into the maze of bushes that the gardener liked for some strange reason that was unknown to Sion but he was grateful for it now. Only Ryner, Ferris, Lucile and himself had ever solved this maze, many giving up before they even got halfway through. He just hoped that his pursuers were as quick to give up as everyone else was.

"Honestly your majesty, you're making this far too easy for us!" Cursing loudly, Sion raised his hands, creating the glyph for Mizui as he watched the trio close in on him.

"What I seek is the water cloud, Mizui!" Diving through a row of bushes as water rained down over everything, causing his pursuers to stumble, Sion pulled at the skirts of the dress, ripping them away to move more freely. The hoop skirt fell uselessly to the ground, Sion kicking it away as he ran down the isle of bushes, the skirts flaring out around his waist from the knee high tare he managed to make in a few layers, whipping at his legs as he ran. She could still faintly hear the music from the festival, even from the middle of the garden maze. Looking around, Sion bit at her lip as she gather her skirts up, turning down another isle as she faintly wished that Lucile was there. Regardless to the fact the she was able of defending herself, Sion was seriously restricted by these clothes, her eye sight wavering as she tried to catch her breath at an intersection.

"Your Majesty!" Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Both Miran and Lucile were running toward him, Ferris, Claugh, and Ryner hot on their heels. Gold eyes widening in horror, Sion looked over his shoulder at the three Gastark soldiers before turning away from the others, running doen another row.

"Get him out of here! I told you to protect him, Lucile! Miran! Not lead him to his death!" The Eris head and the Lieutenant General scowled at each other as they grabbed Ryner by both of his arms, dragging him back inside and away from Sion and her Gastark pursuers, Ferris snarling as Sion ran from her. Ryner struggled against Miran and Lucile, trying to reach Sion, his Stigma glowing faintly in his eyes. Lucile clamped his hand over Ryner's eyes, gripping as gently as he could, knowing that Sion would be furious with him if he damaged his Stigma bearer but not wanting to have to deal with a berserk Alpha Stigma bearer at the moment. Claugh moved to attack Sui, determined to protect his king in some way, aiming his punch for Sui's injured shoulder. Kuu saw the attack and brought her scythe down between them, creating an ice wall four feet thick.

"Keep your hands off my brother, Claugh the Crimsion!" Claugh growled, attempting to climb the wall and failing, sliding down the slick walls as the ice slowly melted, erasing any hand and foot holds. His arm was still healing after his last bought of training where he overworked himself, pulling several muscles and making his right arm useless, even to using the inscriptions tattooed on his arms was unbearably painful. Ferris snarled as the wall continued to grow, circling around them, trapping both of them inside. Raising her sword, Ferris hacked uselessly at the walls, exhausting herself rather than making any progress on getting herself and Claugh out of their icy prison.

"Sui! Kuu! Now!" Whipping around, Sion put her arms up to try and defend herself as the young man and the girl jumped down on her, Sui hitting the pressure point on her neck easily with the side of his hand while Kuu kept Sion's hands busy, the strength behind her grip deceiving for her size as she bound Sion's wrists tightly together. Gold eyes rolling back into her head, Sion crumpled to the ground in an unkingly pile, the illusion spell wavering momentarily before settling, keeping the appearance of Sion as a man. The duo looked toward their eldest brother, Kuu helping Sui pull Sion up to lay over his good shoulder. Sui looked at Sion's body in confusion for a moment, feeling something odd about how Sion's body weight dispersed over his shoulder as he stood up to his full height, wrapping his arm around the King's rump.

"Lets go before anyone else comes down to rescue this fool. His majesty will be disappointed that we could only capture the King of Roland instead of both of our targets, but he will understand. Besides." Ril smiled as he took in the peaceful expression on Sion's face, regardless to the fact that they had to fight him and use underhanded tactics to get that expression there, brushing some of Sion's long locks out of the king's face. "I have a feeling that there is more going on between those two than just King and Subject. I believe that he'll come to us in time."

Sui and Kuu nodded as Ril headed away from Roland castle to where they had hidden their carriage among the nobles'. It would be easier to escape the castle grounds and town if no one was aware to the fact that they had an unconscious and bound Roland King with them. Holding the door open for his younger brother, Ril helped Sui lay Sion out on one of the seats, checking the bonds on Sion's wrists so that they wouldn't have any mishaps on their journey back to Gastark. Kuu and Sui sat in the carriage with their prisoner, Kuu checking over her brother's arm as Ril climbed up into the driver's seat, pulling his cloak up to hide his distinguishing pink hair.

"Hiya!" Urging the horses on, Ril lead the horses toward the border of Roland, out of the castle gates and through the back streets of the castle town, avoiding areas where the people had gathered in mass. Exiting the unguarded gates to the castle town, Ril chuckled as they headed out into the countryside, looking back through the window behind him at Sion's unconscious form.

"Say goodbye to your kingdom, your majesty. When you wake up next, you'll be within Gastark's borders, and a guest to his majesty, King Refal Edia."

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**_I hope you guys liked Chapter 3! Review please! Reviews make me a happy author!_**


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